Althwyn Lliandra Mercier
Physical Description Althwyn is about five foot nine, muscular and toned from her warrior training, with a curvaceous figure. She is usually well-dressed and speaks in a somewhat formal fashion, though without pretentiousness or arrogance. Her slightly angular features come from a father who was half night elf, and the golden flecks in her eyes bespeak the same heritage. Althwyn is commonly seen wearing the robes or gowns of lesser gentry or nobility, or else in her battle gear or ceremonial armor, usually in colors of blue, gold, white, or russet. Her hair has grown long, and due to a recent bout with Arthas' engineered plague (WotLK release), it has turned completely silver-grey. Personality Althwyn is usually very friendly, and loves a good laugh and a round with her friends. She usually bears a serious countenance, but smiles readily. She is a sometimes very contemplative person, and although born to a physical discipline, is very fond of reading and philosophical discussion. She enjoys horror stories and histories. She is also fond of dance and song. While Althwyn is generally a kind person, she is sometimes easily angered when someone is behaving unjustly. She will always stand up to a bully or defend those in need. She upholds the law to the very best of her ability, especially considering the nature of her position as an ambassador between the Alliance and the Horde. She conducts herself honorably and usually very professionally, unless she is speaking with close friends or her family, whereupon she becomes more relaxed. Despite being a seasoned warrior, Althwyn is also an emotional and spiritual person. She holds her friends close, and in 27ADP married Alliance Archer Kanta Wildsabre. Her faith in the Light is important to her, though she is accepting of other positive faiths as well, and she has a great respect for the Church of Elune. History Childhood Althwyn Mercier was born to Aeshwyn (a human woman) and Ilshtirien Mercier (a half-night elf, half-human man) in Lakeshire. When Althwyn was four years old, orcs stampeded the village. Althwyn and the Priestess Aeshwyn escaped, but her father was killed. Sick with grief over the death of her father, Althwyn resolved to one day grow strong enough to punish her father's murderers. With her child, the Priestess Aeshwyn returned to Lordaeron, the place of her birth and began to tutor her daughter in the traditions of their family. In the Marshall family, the women traditionally became priestesses. However, the young child showed little interest in the holy path, instead demonstrating a remarkable aptitude for weapons and fighting. Puzzled and slightly horrified at her growing daughter's insistence on learning the martial path, Aeshwyn did her best to restrict Althwyn's activities to the Church, which worked for a time; but eventually, when Althwyn came of age, she came to her mother and told her of her decision; to seek training in the path of the warrior. Aeshwyn gave in gracefully, and permitted her daughter to undertake training with various weapons masters. Soldier of the Alliance Althwyn traveled to the city of Stormwind to further her training. She frequently returned to Lordaeron to visit her mother. As she grew older, her martial abilities eventually attracted the notice of the Stormwind Guard, with whom she was enlisted for a time; then, several years later, she enlisted in the Stormwind Army, before long to become one of its ranking officers. At the age of 29, she returned to Redridge to drive back the orcs of Blackrock that lived in the hills above it, about whom she had received consistent reports. The orcs continued to attack, raid, and terrorize the people of Lakeshire. Althwyn, then a soldier of the Alliance, gathered a phalanx of soldiers and dealt the orcs such a blow that to this day she is known as the Swordmistress of Redridge. Althwyn served in the Stormwind Army until the age of 62. Upon her retirement, she held the rank of Knight-Champion, and was given the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Commander. She is considered a reserve member of the Stormwind Army, and a retired officer. Recent Events Shortly after her retirement from the military, Althwyn's home, the kingdom of Lordaeron, fell. Althwyn returned from her home in Stormwind, desperately seeking her family. She was reunited with her mother, Aeshwyn, whom she had not seen for nearly five years. The elderly priestess was relieved to see her daughter, but she and Althwyn could not locate any of their other family members. They had scattered over the land like ashes on the winds. Althwyn traveled with her mother to Theramore Isle, where they lived quietly for a number of years. Being a quarter kal'dorei, Althwyn was gifted with an increased lifespan, and despite being in her sixties, was still young and brimming with strength. Aeshwyn was an old woman now, her hair white, her face lined. Still, she was hale and hearty, and both she and Althwyn tended the soldiers in the infirmary of Theramore's barracks. Nearing seventy, Althwyn began to sail with the ship Dark Heart of Azeroth. With the onslaught of the Burning Legion, she traveled to Outlands to aid the troops in their battle to keep the Legion out of Azeroth. Aeshwyn offered her services as a healer to the ship's sailors, as well, and they traveled together. At some point during her stint with the Dark Heart, Althwyn was sailing on another ship that was attacked off the coast of Theramore. She was brutally mauled and drowned by a group of seabound creatures (mutated variations of the murloc race), and sent to the land of the dead - only to be returned by a troll shaman named Norshke. Althwyn still has visions of the dead, but through the tutelage of the night elf priestess Nefiri, another healer aboard the Dark Heart, she learned to cope with her visions, and they have greatly lessened with the passage of time. After recovering from this, she returned to her training with all the intensity she has always had, and returned to fighting in the Outlands against the Burning Legion. Some months later, Althwyn left the ship Dark Heart, but she maintains friendly ties with some of its crew. She joined the Templars of the Rose in autumn of 26ADP, and in November, became its Commander when Draecus Stormblade retired. Under her leadership, the guild has grown from less then twenty Templars to more than fifty, and boasts a variety of races, professions and ideologies. During her leadership of the Templars, Althwyn has been fortunate enough to meet a great deal of people, both of the Alliance and the Horde, who share her desire for peace in Azeroth. She has met with a number of Horde leaders, bringing her message of peace with her, and acted as liason and message carrier for peace negotiations on both sides. The Templars have made many friends among both factions, for which Althwyn is very grateful. Althwyn holds a great respect for Thrall, who shares her ideal for peace. Althwyn became acquainted with the Warchief through Lady Proudmoore, who hosts the Templars on Theramore Isle, working in conjunction with them towards their goal of peace for Azeroth. Althwyn works closely with Ambassador Falithos Duskwalker and Marshal Kanohu Mansain of their sister guild, Blood of the Rose, based in Silvermoon City. While Althwyn calls a number of both Alliance and Horde leaders allies, she holds a special hatred of Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, who, in her eyes, not only poorly performs her leadership duties, but also kidnapped her now-husband - the Templars went through a great ordeal to retrieve him, and Althwyn is very wary and watchful now of Sylvanas' actions. In 27ADP (May 2008), Althwyn married Marksman Kanta Wildsabre, adopting his twin children Alecks and Alumni, and his adopted daughter, Yasu. Shortly after her marriage, she became pregnant with her first child; however, just this past month (October 2008) she was stricken with the plague and while she survived, her child did not. Althwyn has, at present, fully recovered from the plague, and completely regained her eyesight, which was lost temporarily due to the sickness. Her hair has turned silver-white due to the plague, and she has become slightly thinner since her bout with the sickness. Althwyn has since taken up the study of engineering, and also continues to pursue the study of chronomancy, the pursuit both areas of study related to past experiences. Recently, Althwyn was charged with treasonhttp://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=13908988623&sid=1 after the events at the Wrath Gate. A band of her fellow Templars retrieved her from prison, and Arcanist Polyhymnia is at present working on a petition to the Crown of Stormwind to retract the charges and allow the Templars to carry on with their purpose.